Surprising Details About Mercedes Mone’s Return From Injury

Confusion surrounds Mercedes Mone’s recovery from ankle surgery.

At NJPW STRONG Resurgence in May 2023, Mercedes Mone suffered a broken ankle in a match against Willow Nightingale. The star later revealed that doctors told her it could end her career.

Despite the warnings, Mone eventually returned to fitness and debuted with AEW in March 2024. Two months later she made her in-ring debut at Double or Nothing where she defeated Nightingale to claim the TBS Championship.

The star’s injury problems are now hopefully behind her, but there’s been a great deal of confusion around her recent recovery.

Was Mercedes Mone Really Cleared Back In December?

In a new interview with the New York Post, Mone gave fans insight into her injury struggles and mindset heading into her AEW debut. After commenting that the first week after surgery on her broken ankle was the most pain she’d ever experienced, she revealed she’d actually been medically cleared to get back in the ring in December.

She said she was medically cleared to wrestle in December and believes she’s in the best shape of her life for her AEW debut.

However, a report from Fightful Select cited an AEW source that claimed the quotes were a “major surprise” to them. While NPW sources said if they had known Mone was able to wrestle in January, they would have tried to her use her at Wrestle Kingdom and Battle in The Valley.

AEW sources added it was “pretty clear” Mone wouldn’t be able to wrestle until May.

During the conversation, Mercedes Mone revealed she trained with several former WWE stars ahead of Double or Nothing.